Raymond VI of Toulouse

Raymond VI of Toulouse (27 October 1156-2 August 1222) was the Prince-Archbishop and Count of Toulouse from 1194 to 1222, succeeding Raymond V of Toulouse and preceding Raymond VII of Toulouse.

Biography
Raymond was born on 27 October 1156 to Raymond V of Toulouse and Countess Constance of Toulouse to the House of Toulouse, a dynasty of Catholic Occitans. In 1194 he succeeded his father as Count of Toulouse in southern France's Occitania region, and during his rule he allowed religious freedom. This enraged Pope Innocent VIII, as Raymond allowed Catharism to flourish. When his legate Pierre de Castelnau was assassinated, the pope blamed and excommunicated Raymond, but Raymond humbled himself before the pope and was forgiven.

On 22 July 1209, an army of crusaders (mainly French) massacred the people of Beziers and proceeded to embark on the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. Simon IV de Montfort and his army besieged Toulouse, but a mangonel manned by Toulousain women hit Simon in the head, killing him. The siege and crusade ended with Simon's death, and he was Count until his death in 1222.